Invisible Me
by Wishing For Right Now
Summary: The Pretty Committee thought that ninth grade would just be another year to cope with. But when Massie and Claire start crushing the same guy, Alicia starts to act secretive, and Dylan finds new friends, Kristen is left wondering what will be of the PC.
1. Intro

Most students in high school face the problem of being unknown.

Invisible.

Anonymous.

Unnoticeable.

Imperceptible.

And the list goes on.

But I face the opposite of that.

Well, not really.

I actually have the "privilege", if you could call it that, of being part of the "exclusive", popular, famous Pretty Committee.

Yeah, most outsiders who want to be part of our clique think that I am one of the luckiest persons in the world –they say I am pretty, popular, smart, fashionable, and, what they wish to be, noticed.

The thing is that they are wrong. _Dead _wrong.

Some things may be right, but the _noticed_ part…yeah, that's totally not true. I, actually, face the same typical problem of other teenagers. I am also unknown, invisible, anonymous, unnoticeable, imperceptible…well, at least to my clique.

Let me explain.

There's Massie Block, the alpha of the P.C. She's got the looks, the followers, the perfect boyfriend, and, of course, the alpha attitude. You have heard of her smart comebacks, obviously. With her amber eyes, glossy, chestnut hair and full, red lips, she's considered a goddess.

In second place, comes the beta, the exotic Alicia Rivera. Her hour-sand clock but slim figure, brown eyes, straight dark hair, and glowing coffee-colored skin make her the hottie of the clique –maybe even prettier than Massie, for some. She is the gossip queen, by the way.

Then there's always the funny girl of the clique, Dylan Marvil. He green eyes, pale skin and red hair help her to look exactly like her famous mother, Merri-Lee Marvil. That's right, _the_ Merri-Lee Marvil, host of the _Daily Grind_ talk-show. Dyl's only no-no is her love for not dieting, since she thinks she is fat –which she isn't, just to make that clear.

Now onto the goody-two shoes, nice Claire Lyons._ Everybody_ loves her. She isn't as gorgeous as the other girls we have mentioned before, with her straight blond hair and blue eyes…but her nice attitude makes her gorgeous.

And then, there's boring me. Kristen Michelle Gregory. The jock, the nerd, the poor girl of the group. With my green eyes, and dirty blond hair, I don't have my friend's "exotic" beauty. I am also the one who is usually forgotten…probably because I have no drama in my life, and that is because all the boys that Massie allows us to date are interested in Massie, Alicia, Dylan and Claire –_not_ me.

Massie has Derrick Harrington, (yeah, they got back together this summer). Alicia has Josh Hotz –did I mention that Massie decided that older crushes are now overrated? So yeah, the P.C. is back together with their old crushes. Claire returned to the Pretty Committee, and is still with Cam Fisher. And Dylan has Chris Plovert and Kemp Hurley fawning over her.

So that leaves me without someone to crush on, because Dempsey Solomon's parents decided to move to Africa. Thanks a lot, Mr. and Mrs. Solomon.

I am now C-Minus. Always have been.

_So then_, you might be asking, _if your life is so boring, why are you telling a story about you?_

To answer that, I am not.

This is the story of my friends, related by me.

_But_, you may count me in as one of the main characters. Why? I play a major role in how their lives change in High School.

* * *

_So, first I want to say that this "chapter" is really short because it is just an intro. This story is going to be written in Kristen's personal point of view, but it will include personal moments of other characters, too. I also want to thank anyone who is reading this._

_This is my first story, by the way, so constructive reviews are welcome. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

_Song used for inspiration: Change of Seasons – Sweet Thing._

_-Wishing For Right Now. (by the way, sorry for the lame author's note, I just didn't know what to say here (: )_


	2. Chapter 1

"Mom, I am leaving now!" I exclaimed, running into the kitchen.

"Already?" she asked, her back facing me, "But I don't see Massie's car."

Oh, here it goes. I should've been prepared for this.

This summer, I saw a bunch of movies with Beckham, my cat. In most of them, teenagers lived in houses –not apartments, and walked to school. I liked that kind of life so much, I promised myself that if I ever had a house, I'd walk to school. I didn't even care to tell myself that my mother would absolutely say no to that, but that was because I _knew_ that I would never move into a house. We'll always be stuck with an apartment.

But surprise, surprise!

This summer, we moved into a house, in a nice, normal neighborhood. And I am not the kind of person that doesn't keep promises.

"Well, mom, I-"

"Don't tell me that you are walking to school," she said, turning around.

I closed my eyes shut, "Actually, yes. Massie will only be dropping me off."

I waited for a big sermon on how dangerous it was to walk to school when you were new to the neighborhood. But, another surprise, I didn't get it.

"Ok, that sounds swell. I remember walking to school when I was your age," my mom said, smiling. She glanced at the clock, "Well, you've got enough time to breakfast with us instead of at school. _And_ I made special pancakes for you."

I stared blankly at my mom, "_Special Pancakes?_"

Since my mom is a nurse, she tries to keep the sugars only for weekends, since she wants me to be a "healthy young lady", and what she means by sugar is a _sugar free_ chocolate milk or a fat free yogurt.

"Yup, special pancakes. I made five just for you," she confirmed, going once more into the kitchen.

Slowly, I sat down on the counter's brand new chairs, smiling uncertainly, "What do you mean with "just for you"?"

"I added cinnamon, one of your favorites," mom explained.

Grinning, she placed a platter of five pancakes in front of me.

"This is all for me?" I asked.

Mom smiled, nodding, "Who else are they for, Beckham?"

Just then, my cat appeared in the kitchen, and let out an innocent _Meow._

"Anyways, eat. I don't want you to be late on your first year in high school," mom said.

I stabbed one of the pancakes, and sniffed it. Besides the fact that my mother probably added some kind of pill that would make me not want sugar for the rest of my life, Massie would probably die if she saw this.

But then, my mom sat across from me, holding a plate of pancakes doubled the amount of mine. She motioned to my pancakes, "How are they?"

The sparkle in her green eyes made me feel guilty for even thinking of rejecting the pancakes. Instead, I just chewed a piece of them, "Mmmm. Good."

Massie doesn't have to find out of my calories breakfast.

"Where's dad?" I asked, sipping my milk.

"Out. He's shopping for tonight's dessert," mom replied.

"Dessert? Are we having some kind of party tonight?" I questioned, looking at my mom quizzically.

"Kind of," she answered.

I nodded slowly, tucking a strand of my dirty blonde hair behind my ear, "Is this "party" why you've been acting so weird lately?"

Mom laughed, "Weird?"

I looked at her seriously, "Mom, last night, you told me that I can wear whatever I want from now on-"

"You're in high school now, sweetie," she said.

"You let me decorate my new room without you guys interfering," I continued.

"You are in high school," mom repeated.

I stared at my mother blankly. Was that all she was going to answer?

Instead of giving me a headache trying to decipher my mom, I quickly finished my breakfast, and after kissing my mother goodbye, I walked out of the house.

Even if I have always wished for my parents to be less strict, truthfully, it now freaks me out. It makes me think that maybe something bad happened or something bad is going to happen. Since when do you see parents all of a sudden change? In movies maybe, after they learn a "life-changing lesson". But we're in real life, and the impossible never happens, simply because it's that, _impossible_. And my parents letting me do almost all I want? Now _that's_ impossible.

All of a sudden, I felt something hard push my head forward, making me drop my bag. At first, I couldn't feel a thing, but then, an intense pain spread throughout my head. I quickly flung my hand to the spot that had been hit, now dropping my books.

I heard running behind me, which increased the pain my head was in. Right now, I didn't want to hear a single sound.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry," a voice said behind me.

But before I could turn around and see who the voice belonged to, everything went black, and I felt myself slowly fall forwards.

* * *

"So, you do know her."

"Not really. I _have _seen her before, but I only-"

"Wait, I think she is waking up."

"No she –she is! Give her some space, Tommy."

I heard shuffling besides me, along with an explosion of pain in my head. As I slowly sat up, memories of something hard hitting my head returned.

"Where am I," I whispered, looking grudgingly around.

"You're at the Crane's house, uh…Christina?" a male voice said behind me.

_Crane_. Why did that name ring a bell in my head? But before I could keep on thinking, I slowly registered the fact that he had called me _Christina_.

"Actually, it's Kristen," I corrected, turning around.

When I was in full view of the person who had called me _Christina_, I gasped. Pale blue eyes, dark hair, and pale-ish skin. The teenager in front of me was definitely Landon Crane. The public high school guy. Massie's ex-boyfriend.

"Landon?" I asked.

"Uh-yeah, you're one of Massie's friends, right?" he replied.

_Massie's friend._ When am I going to get used to the fact that that's how people will recognize me for the rest of my high school life?

I nodded, "Yup."

I looked around once more, realizing that I was in a living room, no bigger than mine, and that I had been _unconscious_ in a red sofa.

"You're probably wondering what you're doing here," Landon said.

"Not really," I answered, "One look at the bag of ice on the table answers my doubts."

He glanced at the ice, "Oh, yeah. I-I'm sorry, for mistaking your name and hitting you with a baseball."

I nodded.

"It's that, my little cousin, Tommy, came to visit me. And before school-"

_School. _Uh-oh.

"_Landon_. What time is it?" I asked, uncertain.

He glanced at his wrist, "7:50 p.m."

"_Ehmagawd_," I whispered to myself. I looked up at Landon's expectant face, and said, "I have to go, my school started forty minutes ago."

I quickly got up on my feet, and picked up my bag. Strapping it around my shoulders, I gave Landon a small smile, "Thanks for the ice, by the way."

"You shouldn't be thanking me, I sent you unconscious," he replied sheepishly.

I waved my hand carelessly, "Doesn't matter. Anyways, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Public schools start until one week, and, besides, we would be starting our first period in ten minutes," he explained.

"Oh, ok," I said.

Starting to walk towards the front door, which was exactly like mine, I glanced back from my shoulder, "Bye, Landon!"

"Bye," he replied, waving.

After I closed the door behind me, I sighed, embarrassed. To my dismay, my family had moved to the house in front of Landon's. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough that I had been completely unconscious on his sofa, I _lived across from the guy_. _And_ he was Massie's ex-boyfriend. If she ever came to my house, I'd have to keep her out of sight.

Before I could give it any thought, I was already in front of Octavian High's green lawn, which, of course, was deserted. _Great. _Now I'd have to walk to the principal's office, explain my embarrassing story, walk by the boy's building with a throbbing head, enter the girl's building, and re-explain the embarrassing story to my teacher and friends.

"There you are, Kristen," a voice said behind me.

Bewildered, I turned around, just to find Massie Block, hands on hips, in front of the rest of the Pretty Committee.

"Massie?" I asked, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Kristen, it's the first day. We are heading over the school's theater for orientation," Massie replied, in her usual leader tone.

Claire smiled, "Come on, we don't want to be late."

"Well, I _am_ late, and I need my pass," I replied.

Massie exhaled, "Look, when your parents make donations to your school every month, you have privileges. And you're my friend, so you have privileges. Now, let's go. I don't want to seat next to some LBR."

The girls turned around and started to walk towards a small building. I hurried behind them, and quickly positioned myself next to Dylan, who whispered to me, "You know, you'll have to explain everything in lunch."

I looked at her, nodding.

Before she could reply, Alicia exclaimed, "We're here, you two!"

Dylan and I hurried towards Claire, Alicia and Massie. Once inside, we sat in the middle row, behind three blonds girls, who kept gossiping about Dempsey. The news of him moving away to Africa forever caused a great impact within the girls, and most of them had started inventing rumors that he had an illness that could only be cured in South Africa, and that's why he had moved.

Luckily, we know that those rumors are false.

One of the blonde girls turned around, and as she spotted Alicia, she glanced at all of us, and raised an eyebrow. It took me all of my focus to notice that Alicia nodded slowly, making the girl swiftly turn around.

Weird.

All of a sudden, the theater doors once again opened, but instead of a bunch of giggling girls coming in, snickering boys walked in. The girls all shushed down as the boys sat down on the set of seats next to ours. High school is way different than middle school, and one of those differences is that high school includes both girls and boys.

"Students, if you could please pay attention."

I looked up at the stage, where Mr. Carson, our new school principal, stood. Mr. Carson looked like one of those plump, happy grandfathers, but I knew better. He was a plump, strict, old man. To extend my scholarship, I had to spend half of my summer helping teachers tutor the summer school kids, so I met Mr. Carson more than once, and in all those occasions, he wasn't happy.

The rest of the students didn't hush down, which was a great mistake.

"You are now in High School, _not_ in kindergarten. So if you do not make silence, I'll gladly send you back to elementary," Mr. Carson menaced sternly.

And now the school hushed down.

"Thank you," Mr. Carson said. He cleared his throat, and continued, "As you may see, Octavian High is bigger now than it was before, thanks to some kind donations from some parents."

"The Blocks," Massie whispered.

"Most of our older students might be thinking why the last six months of school, there was some construction going on. Well, now you might see that the library is bigger, we have a bigger pool, we have a bigger theater, and now, the art students and our band students will not have to share buildings, since each of them have now one of their own," Mr. Carson said.

A series of cheers was heard from the front rows.

Mr. Carson smiled proudly, "And there are more renovations, too. But because I do not want to interrupt your classes, I will not mention them, and I will continue with this year's activities. As you may know, we are focusing in creating a team of soccer, one for girls and one for boys, since last year, we only had a swimming team and a basketball team. But this year, we could get two new soccer coaches, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell."

I clapped along with the other soccer players.

"We also have a variety of other activities, including band,-"

"Boring," Massie whispered.

"Choir-"

"Boring," Massie repeated.

"And drama club," Mr. Carson finished.

"Boring," Massie repeated once more.

Mr. Carson started to talk about the electives, and the original clubs, which included cheerleading, dancing, some other sports, and languages –which was a club I was willing to join.

When Mr. Carson continued with the school's rules, Claire turned around to face us, her blue eyes bright, and asked, "We're joining the cheerleaders, right?"

Don't get me wrong, I love Claire and all, but it is for her to ask the obvious. If we went as far as to make our own cheerleading squad last year, what answer can Claire expect?

But, of course, this year was going to be full of surprises.

"_Kuh-Laire_, this summer I've decided that cheerleaders are too overrated. So we are _nawt_ becoming one of them," Massie answered, adjusting her charm bracelet, "Anyways-"

"What? But what about popularity?" Claire asked, interrupting Massie.

Since when does Claire care about being popular?

Massie, probably irritated because of Claire's interruption, answered angrily, "We are popular."

"B-but, what about the boys?" Claire stammered.

"What about them?" Alicia questioned.

"Last time I checked, Cam had quit the soccer team to join the swimming team," Massie said, crossing her arms.

Claire blinked, and looked down, "Yeah, I keep forgetting."

There was an awkward silence, for no apparent reason. But I _did_ notice some things. Dylan kept glancing at the drama club kids, and Alicia kept moving her fingers in the air discretely, as if she was playing the flute.

Massie broke the silence, "_Anyways. _Let's talk about _our_ plans."

As Massie chattered proudly about what we were going to do this year, my gaze wandered towards Claire, whose expression still exclaimed disappointment. What happened next surprised me more than Massie's new opinion on cheerleading.

Claire looked at the boys. At first, you might think, _Why is that so surprising? She is probably looking for Cam._ But when I observed closely, I saw that she wasn't staring dreamily at Cam. Instead, she was staring at-

"So its official, this is going to be the best year of our lives," Massie remarked, flipping her glossy hair.

I looked once more at Claire, who was still looking at the boys. If someone caught her looking…well, it wouldn't be pretty, especially if they saw who she was looking at.

So I kicked her shin lightly. Startled, she turned around, and her cheeks turned bright red when she saw that I had caught her staring at the boys.

"It is def going to be the best," Alicia said, uncertain.

_The best._

Something told me that this wasn't going to be the "Best Year of our Lives".

I wish that Something had told me that I was right.

* * *

_I want to thank Little Miss Dancerina, who reviewed and story alerted this._

_I hope you enjoy this, and it may seem boring at first, but the first chapter is always boring *smiles*. Anyways, please review telling me what you think, and thank you once again for reading._

_Song: Mr. Brightside – The Killers._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

_-Wishing For Right Now._


	3. Chapter 2

I was stuck kneeling behind a bush, the spiky grass was hurting my knees, and bugs were hungry for my blood. You'd think I was as annoyed as it could get, but when a whining Layne Abeley is next to you, you'll be surprised.

"That thorn cut my finger," Layne whispered, bouncing up and down.

I sighed, trying to keep my patience, "Is it bleeding?"

Long pause.

"Well…no, b-"

"Then shut up, Layne," I whispered-hissed, "And by the way, spies don't whine over a hurt finger."

That shut her up, _finally._ This whole half-hour that we've been here trying to spot either Alicia, Dylan or Claire has been torture for my ears. Is either _It's too spiky in here_ or _I'm bored_ or _Can we go eat something?_ Who knew Layne could be like that.

Well, I knew, kind of.

You're probably wondering why I'm here. Well, then, let me explain it to you.

After orientation, everyone except Massie started to act strange. For example, Claire kept avoiding me like the plague, out of embarrassment, and she kept stammering every time Massie asked her something. Alicia kept reading the afterschool's activities pamphlets until it wrinkled, and Dylan…well, she didn't really do anything that could be labeled as _weird_, but you could still see there was something off with her. But what really triggered my curiosity, is that all three of them told Massie that they wouldn't need to be dropped off to their houses for some excuse or another.

So, a few minutes after Massie dropped me off, I walked back to school. I needed some explanations for their behavior. And on my way, I encountered Layne, who was leaving Drama Club tryouts. She asked me what I was doing here, but since I didn't want to tell her, I shrugged it off with a lame excuse.

But Layne is an actress. A _really_ good actress, so she detected my lie easily_. _After I told her, Layne insisted on letting her be part of my "mission", as she put it, claiming that the past summer she had gone to a Spy Camp. I accepted, thinking that Layne wouldn't be much of a bother.

But boy, was I wrong.

"Aren't soccer tryouts today?" Layne whispered.

I shook my head, "One of the privileges of working for the school in summer is that you can try out for stuff earlier than the other students. So my spot is already secure. Now _on to the topic on hand_, shouldn't we go look for them then stalk them? I don't think that one of them is going to come to the school's garden, sit down, and exclaim all of her problems."

Layne gave me a _duh_ look, "If they are keeping something secret, they are going to come here to a secluded spot to talk about it."

Sometimes, Layne overanalyzes everything. But since I don't know why Alicia, Claire and Dylan stayed in school, or _if_ they stayed, I'll just obey Layne.

Another few minutes passed, and with every second, my knees stung more. But if I tried to move, Layne would smack my arm and tell me to stay still.

God, why can't one of them show up already?

As if by magic, Dylan entered the scene. _Followed by Alicia and Claire_.

Layne started to smack my arm excitedly, until I hushed her and motioned her to hear.

Rolling my eyes, I focused my attention back on the girls.

"Ok, so explain what are you guys doing here," Dylan commanded Alicia and Claire.

Claire looked down, "Cheerleading tryouts."

Dylan nodded, and looked at Alicia, who just crossed her arms, "Why are _you_ here?"

"_Because_," Dylan replied, "Now answer me , Leesh."

"_Nawt_ until _you_ answer me," Alicia argued.

"No-"

"Dylan," Claire interrupted, "If we are going to tell you, you are going to tell us, too."

There was a long pause.

But then Dylan sighed, "Drama Club."

An awkward silence.

"I don't know, anything but dance or something that Massie would _nawt_ choose," Alicia answered rapidly.

"What?" Claire and Dylan asked in unison.

Another long pause.

Then Alicia looked down, "We are in high school. This is where we are supposed to find ourselves. I've realized that all this time, I've been trying to act as someone I am not," Alicia sighed, "I was trying to be like Massie."

Claire nodded sympathetically, but Dylan snorted, "Yeah, that was deep."

Alicia frowned, "Don't laugh. We are all here because of the same thing!"

Dylan snorted once more, "Yeah, right! I am here to show off my talent-"

"Meaning, to be yourself," Alicia cut in.

"And _Kuh-Laire_, here, wants to join the cheerleading squad to impress _Derrington_," Dylan continued, matter-of-factly.

In that instant, Layne gasped.

A little _too _loud.

"What was that?" Alicia asked, looking around.

"What was what," Dylan said, but she, too, was looking around.

"_Duck_," I desperately whispered to Layne.

Layne didn't have to be told twice, and in a second, her whole body was pressed down on the grass. I quickly ducked just as Claire started to turn around.

"Girls, I think I heard a whisper," she communicated.

"It's just your imagination," Dylan told Claire, but her tone was uncertain.

"Imagination, or not, we should go," Alicia said.

They didn't say anything afterwards, but the sound of feet stepping on the ground confirmed that they _were_ leaving.

After I couldn't hear a single sound, I stood up, feeling relief on my knees. Stretching, I sighed, "Thanks for spying with me, Layne."

Layne stood up, too, shaking her head, "No, I ruined it by gasping."

"If I wouldn't have known of Claire's interest on Derrick, I would've gasped louder," I assured, feeling sympathy towards her.

Layne smiled, then her eyes widened, "You knew all along?"

"Well, yeah, but just because I caught her staring at him at orientation," I answered.

"Oh," Layne whispered, nodding, "So she didn't tell you?"

"Nope," I replied.

Layne looked down, biting her lower lip. You could tell by the concentration on her green eyes that she was deep in thought.

And I knew _exactly_ what she was thinking of. She was having the same problems as I, after all.

Why didn't Claire tell me? I am her friend, and I have kept secrets for her. And today, instead of telling Massie when I caught Claire staring, I helped her. And why didn't Dylan or Alicia tell me, either? After all, we have been friends for a long time already.

Do my friends still trust me?

"Agent Gregory, this mission will be kept top secret," Layne said, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked up, and something told me that Layne knew what I was thinking of, too, and that she wanted to cheer me up.

Smiling gratefully, I replied, "Copy that, Agent Abeley. Mission completed."

Layne grinned.

It felt good to know that you have other people to rely on in situations like these.

* * *

After Layne and I separated ways, I decided to walk around school. I wasn't ready to go home, yet. Especially when my mom's "party" was about to start. I didn't want to enter my house, and see a bunch of little sugar-free desserts being eaten by crazy aunts and uncles. Not that my family is crazy, they are pretty cool, but to accept a party invitation from my mom? _That's_ crazy.

So I decided to seat on a bench besides my school's front lawn to think. But just when I turned around, I bumped with the person that I least expected to see here.

None other but Massie Block.

"Massie?" I exclaimed.

Her amber eyes started to search my face nervously. She regained her composure, though, and, trying to act as if she wasn't surprised, she greeted, "Hey, Kristen."

A smile tugged on my lips, but I decided to ignore it, and instead, I raised an eyebrow, "You know that your acting skills suck, right?"

But Massie didn't reply. She just stared at me blankly, and for a moment, I thought that I would soon be crying while she insulted me for criticizing her acting. But instead, she sighed, "Sit down and I'll tell you everything."

She slumped down on the bench, but I couldn't just sit. It felt...surreal. Here I was, spying on my friends, hoping that no one would see me, and here she was, looking all mad and hurt, probably hoping the same.

Suddenly, she looked up, "Aren't you going to seat?"

To prevent that mean tone on her voice that threatened to surface, I quickly did as told, and looked at her expectantly.

* * *

_Here is the third chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I want to thank __Little Miss Dancerina__, __Cela Fille__, and __XOXOKelseyXOXO__ for reviewing. Also,__ iheartme104__ for alerting and __I LOVE NEW YORK__ for adding my story to her favorites. Once again, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and review telling me what you think (:_

_Song: She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

_-Wishing For Right Now._


	4. Chapter 3

Seconds, which seemed like hours, passed, and Massie still hadn't spoken. I tapped my knee uncomfortably, and glanced at Massie a few times before asking, "So, what are you doing here?"

Massie looked at me, "If I tell you, you promise you won't tell anyone I was here?"

I thought of my failed spying mission with Layne. I wouldn't want anyone to know I was here, either, so I nodded.

"Ok, then," Massie said, sitting up straighter. She got out a small mirror, and fixed her eyeliner, which annoyed me, since I was supposed to be at my house in an hour. But to avoid any comebacks, I just ignored it, and instead, decided to inspect my surroundings. We were sitting at a wooden bench in front the school's garden, but outside the school. You felt as if you were in a magic garden here, with the green trees surrounding you, the green grass cut evenly, and pink flowers blooming from the bushes. Sadly, Massie's black car, which I noticed until now, ruined the scene. It was hidden behind a bunch of trees, and I could barely make out Isaac's body leaning against a tree.

"Well, I believe that Derrington is seeing another girl," Massie said, interrupting my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, whipping my head to see her.

For an instant, I had thought that she had noticed how weird her friends had been acting, and that she had decided to take it the "Block Way" and find out by herself what was going on. But, no, I was wrong. She had noticed something in Derrick that I hadn't noticed the whole day, probably because I was too busy inspecting Claire, Alicia and Dylan and worrying over my parents' behavior.

"I don't repeat what I say more than once," Massie murmured, "Anyways, I decided to come here to see if he was seeing her-"

"Whoa," I cut in, "What makes you think that he is cheating on you?"

Massie exhaled, "Today he didn't talk to me much."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"He said _hi_ to me today at school several times, but just that," Massie explained.

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Massie, all the boys that want to try out for soccer today have been more than busy. I know because they're my friends too. Look, even my soccer friends have been "ignoring" me today because they are too focused on their soccer tryouts."

Massie's amber eyes widened, "Really?"

I nodded.

"Are you sure?" Massie questioned.

I bit my lower lip. I wasn't really sure of my answer, but I knew that Derrick wasn't cheating on Massie. The one she should be worrying about is Claire, but I decided not to mention anything about it. I am not a mean friend, and I am sure Claire wants to keep her crush on Derrick secret.

"Completely sure," I replied. My eyes wandered to the sky. It was already darkening, and, if my parents were back to normal, I was 5 minutes away from getting grounded. Sadly, Massie's expression screamed that she needed moral support.

"Mass," I started, "Derrick would never cheat on you. You are the most popular girl in school, everybody loves you, you're original. And you're beautiful, and, even if Derrick is, well, _Derrick_, I'm sure he knows what a lucky guy he is."

I am not sure how sentimental Massie is, since, for the sake of the Pretty Committee, she always has this façade of being confident and not needing anyone to tell her how popular and pretty she is, but, even though my "speech" wasn't that good, I'm sure it made her feel better.

And her smile told me that I was right, "Thank you Kristen."

"You're welcome," I replied, smiling.

Massie sighed, looking around, then looked back at me, "I'm sure that what is going to happen to you is really what you deserve, which is the best."

Even though I wasn't sure what she meant with that, I smiled once more. Now I feel terrible for not telling her about Dylan's, Alicia's and Claire's feelings, but, since they got nothing to do with this, I guess it's not that bad.

"I've gotta go."

I looked at Massie, who had a faraway look on her face.

"Oh, yeah. Me too," I replied, standing up.

Massie did the same, "One more thing, Kristen."

"Yeah?" I replied.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked.

The answer took me by surprise, most of all because Massie had always struck me as the girl who knew everything.

"I guess yellow, why?" I answered.

Massie gave me an _I-Know-Something-That-You-Don't_ smile, and walked away.

Before she completely left, though, she glanced at the school and her eyes darkened.

When she was out of sight, I hurried over to the spot where she had been standing, and tried to find what she had been looking at. It wasn't so hard to find out, especially because "it" was jumping around, cheering, and doing some awesome back-flips. And it was a _her_. A _her_ named Claire.

Claire would never betray Massie like that, so why could she ever suspect of Derrick cheating on her with Claire?

Unless…she knew.

Massie knows that Claire likes Derrick.

* * *

Panting, I opened the front door of my house, looked back to see if Landon or his little cousin were around, and walked in. One of my new goals this year was to avoid the Cranes at all costs.

"Mom, dad? I am home!" I exclaimed, looking around.

The emptiness and quietness of the house buzzed in my ears. This didn't look like a party at all. There weren't decorations, food, music…or people.

"Krist-mas?" my mom asked from the kitchen.

I put down my red bag and walked over to the kitchen. Placed on top of the counter was a huge, chocolate cake, and behind it, my mother and father were smiling. I could still see a hint of sadness in their eyes.

I glanced at the cake, "Is something wrong?"

My mom's smiled tightened, "Can you please seat down, Kristen."

I did as they said and looked up expectantly.

"Nothing's wrong, by the way," my mother replied, "cheerfully".

_If nothing's wrong,_ I wanted to say, _then why are you trying to act cheerful and failing at it?_

"Do you know why we've been treating you more like a grown-up, sweetie?" my dad asked.

Grown-up? Suddenly, all those permissions they had been giving me this summer flashed in my mind.

"Because I am in High School?" I replied, uncertain.

My mom sighed, and her smile dropped, "No."

Dad placed an arm around her, and squeezed her, "You know that everything will be alright."

Mom looked at dad sadly, then back at me, "Sweetie, soon, only two of us will be living here."

I stared at my mom blankly. "What?"

"I got a promotion," dad said, "I am moving to California for a year to see how it all works out."

"Works out?" I asked, his words not sinking in, yet.

"Kristen, your dad got a job as a curator this summer, why do you think we got a house?" my mom explained, "His boss saw how well he collected valuable items, and decided to promote him."

Of course I knew that my dad was a curator, but I didn't know that he was a _good_ one. And the thought of him moving away never crossed my mind. All of a sudden, my eyes started to sting.

"What happens if it all works out in California?" I asked, blinking back tears.

My dad was moving away for a year. What a great start of high school.

"Well," my dad started, observing me, "I either stay there by myself and visit in Christmas, or, we all move there."

"B-but we can't move! You can't leave!" I raised my voice, something that I had never done to my parents.

My dad held up his hand, "Kristen, nothing has been decided yet. I'm just leaving to California for a year, and, who knows, after the year finishes, I might decline the promotion and stay here in Westchester."

I looked down, swallowing the lump on my throat. I couldn't cry right now.

"When are you leaving?" I managed to ask.

My dad closed his eyes, "I am leaving in two days."

"Now this is supposed to be a happy occasion," my mom cut in, "Your dad got a promotion! Look, I'm even crying tears of joy."

I noticed a tear sliding down my mom's rosy cheek, but I knew it wasn't a "tear of joy", even though I was thankful for her attempt on making us happy.

"Let's cut the cake, and wish your father good luck on his promotion," my mother said, looking down.

* * *

_Here is the next chapter. I know that I took a long time to update, but I've been busy in school, and I had a lack of inspiration this week. I mean, I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't express it in words. Anyways, I know that these chapters have been taking place in the same day, but the next chapter will change. And I am going to add more of the other characters, since this isn't just Kristen's story, but also the rest of the Pretty Committee's…even though it will be written in Kristen's point of view. You'll understand once you read it._

_Anyways, thanks for reading, I want to thank: **Miyame-Chan** for favoriting, reviewing and subscribing, and I also want to thank **Child of the Masquerade** for reviewing._

_Review telling me what you think,_

_-Wishing For Right Now :)_


	5. Chapter 4

As I walked down the school's green lawn, I pondered over what had happened in the past three days. Not much happened, actually, just the fact that Alicia protested against everything that Massie said, Massie kept glaring at Claire, Dylan didn't eat with us, and…my dad left.

It wasn't really a teary goodbye, if you ask me. I wasn't even there. Don't get me wrong, I _did_ wanted to be there, but my dad didn't. He said that I shouldn't miss school, and that I should just say good-bye at home. I was all set to protest against that, but I didn't want my dad fighting with me before he left, so I did what he said.

"Watch out!"

I nearly tripped over a boy after I heard those words. I managed to stop myself in time, but, sadly, all the books I was carrying fell on top of the guy's head.

"_Ehmagawd_, I am so sorry!" I exclaimed.

I heard a groan from the boy. As he rubbed his head he turned around, his eyebrows furrowed. But when he saw me, his features softened.

"Oh, hey. It's you Kristen," he said in a bored tone.

The guy I had nearly fell on top was Cameron Fisher.

I sighed, annoyed, "Look, I'm sorry if you're having a bad day and you expected me to be another person so you could scream at. But you're not the only one in "misery" here. I'm having a bad day myself, thank

you very much."

Cam winced, "Sorry…I know about your dad."

I crossed my arms, "You do, huh? Are you some kind of Josh Hotz? I haven't told anyone yet."

Cam smiled, but as quickly as it came, it left, "No. My uncle works with your dad, and he also got promoted."

"You never told me that your uncle was a curator," I replied.

Cam motioned to the empty spot beside him, "We never had a real conversation before, have we?"

I shook my head and sat down, "So, is he also going to California?"

Cam nodded, "But to a museum. Your dad was sent to the company's office there…he'll make much more money than he did before."

I half smiled, "You know more about my dad's job than I do, how does that sound?"

Cam shook his head, smiling reassuringly, "I just used to visit my uncle often. I bet your dad knows what perfume I wear by now."

"You wear perfume?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cam laughed, "Drakkar Noir…can't you smell it?"

"I always thought it was soap," I replied, laughing along.

Cam laughed harder.

After a few seconds, he smiled at me, "Thanks Kristen, you really made me feel better."

I shrugged, "Welcome. But, how did I make you feel better? Where you depressed or something?"

"Do you even know why I'm like this?" he asked, a confused expression on his face.

I shook my head, "What, one of your favorite bands broke up?"

Cam sighed, looking away. Something told me that I shouldn't be joking right now, I bet that "something" was Cam's expression. I mean, his eyes _watered _the moment he asked me that, and his chin wobbled a bit. Whatever happened must be something huge.

"So you really don't know…I swear, I thought everyone knew by now," Cam replied.

"Maybe everyone doesn't include me? I've been in my own bubble today," I said.

Instead of answering, Cam licked his lips nervously, "Mind if I tell you?"

I shook my head. Even if I needed moral support myself now, I think Cam needs it way more than I do. Who will ever blabber all of his/her problems to someone you barely have talked to before?

There was a long silence. But it wasn't awkward, in fact, it was kind of depressing.

"Claire and I, we, uh…we b-broke up," Cam bursted out

I was so fixated on the way the wind was messing up my braid, that it took me a while to realize what he had just said.

"What?" I asked, quietly.

Cam nodded, "She is using this excuse about us being together for too long...but I know it is because of another guy."

My eyes widened, "H-how do you know?"

"By the way Layne came up to me earlier asking me how I was doing. She asked me if I was ready to move on, and if I wouldn't mind if Claire started dating another guy. Who would be ready to move on the same day you broke up with someone? Especially after _two years_," Cam said, shaking his head.

Somehow, I knew Layne hadn't been sent by Claire to ask that. Claire would've never been so foolish as to ask that. Layne probably asked because she truly wanted to know...and she was probably concerned that if Derrick magically started dating Claire (that is, after breaking up with Massie), Cam would blow a gasket. Heck, she probably went and communicated Cam's answer to Claire.

"I lied to her, though. I told her I had moved on," Cam continued.

Startled, I turned to look at him, "What? Why did you lie?"

Cam shrugged, "I didn't want Claire to think I was hurt. She didn't seem as sad as someone who is breaking up with her two-year boyfriend should be."

I looked at Cam sympathetically. _You shouldn't have done that, _I wanted to say. But I didn't, it would probably make things worse.

I don't know how everything will turn out for Cam, but I do know one thing: I _need_ to hear Claire's side of the story. And not about the break-up, but about Derrick.

* * *

Putting a yellow and white cap on my head, I walked over to the park. It was a warm, bright sunny day, and I wasn't feeling so much like that. So I had decided to try and brighten myself up. As soon as I got there, I was greeted by the sound of elementary kids laughing, which put a small smile on my face. I'm one of those people who think that smiles and laughs are contagious.

Spotting a tall tree from the distance, I ran towards it. Besides the fact that I couldn't stand the sun burning my skin anymore, I had sketched a "K" on every tree except that one. As soon as I got there, I stood on one branch, and got out a scissor. But as I was about to draw my "K", a baseball ball landed on my foot. I knelt down to inspect it, but as soon as I picked it up, I heard someone ask, "Hey, could you pass the ball?"

Obeying, I turned around, ready to pitch it. However, my whole body paralyzed when I saw who the ball's owner was and my cheeks turned beet red.

"Oh, hey Kristen! Couldn't recognize you with that cap," Landon said, smiling brightly.

I smiled back, trying to hide my embarrassment, and threw the ball at him. He caught it like a true expert would, and started to bounce it in his hand.

"Haven't seen you around lately…and, how's the bump?" he asked, now smiling sheepishly.

"I've been busy, and the bump is still there, but it doesn't hurt anymore," I replied, stepping away from the tree.

Awkward silence.

Landon nodded, inspecting the ball, "Well…are you busy now?"

I started to rack my brain for any possible excuse to avoid this situation. Do I have any homework? Nope, finished them all at study hall. Do I have any chores to do? No, mom is so "happy", she's decided to do the chores herself. That leaves me with no excuse.

"Nope," I replied.

Landon smile once more, "Know how to play baseball?"

Another awkward silence.

I looked at the ball and my cheeks reddened. It wasn't because he had hit me with a _baseball _bat, but because…well, as embarrassing as it is already, I can't play baseball. You can ask me about any other sport, but baseball? My dad was never a fan, and almost no one at my school watches it, so I don't know a single thing about it.

"Well," I started, biting my lower lip, "Would you laugh if I said no?"

Landon shook his head, "I have met people who watch baseball but can't play it."

My cheeks burned brighter, "And if I tell you that I have never tuned in to watch a game?"

Landon shook his head, "Nope, but I would be surprised, and I would probably teach you some moves right now, since you aren't busy."

I sighed, relieved, "Okay then, I don't watch it and I can't play it."

Landon chuckled, passing me over the ball. It nearly slipped from my fingers, but I caught it once more, "First lesson, Kristen: How to pass and catch."

And so, I spent the whole afternoon learning how to play baseball with the guy who had hit me with a bat two days ago. And if you ask me, it had been the funniest thing I had ever done in my whole middle school and ninth grade life. It was nice to have someone who spent time with you not because of your clothes or how much gossip you knew, but because they were also enjoying themselves. Who would've ever thought that this moment was one of those that I would probably remember for my whole life? I mean, it was the first time that someone hadn't made me feel bad for being poor. And also the first time that somebody wasn't constantly talking about his or her latest crush. And the list goes on…

I found myself disappointed when the sun was already setting down and Landon announced he had to go.

"So, see ya soon?" he asked, shuffling with his baseball.

"Of course, we're neighbors, after all," I replied, tilting my cap a bit.

Landon grinned, "Promise me one thing."

I nodded.

"You'll go with me to a baseball game some day? Every fan has gone to a baseball game," he said.

Yes, in a matter of three hours I became the biggest baseball fan.

"Of course," I answered.

He grinned wider, "Good then."

After he left, I decided to go back to my "tree art", but a light tap on my shoulder caught my attention.

"I didn't know that you were such a good friend of Landon."

I was still giddy from my encounter with Landon, but when I heard that voice, believe me, it all drained away. It was Claire Lyons, the girl who could easily start a war at school just by telling Massie that she broke up with Cam because she had a crush on Derrick.

* * *

_Uh...hi. I know it has been a very VERY long time, I've just been busy with this competition I had going on last week. In fact, right now, I should be studying for Literature and History...*chuckles*. Anyways, I would like to thank **miyame-chan**, **alicehart1234**, and **blondie in pink** for reviewing, as I normally do. Excuse me for any grammar mistakes, by the way. I was in a rush since I have to study. I know, you're probably asking: "If you've got to study, why are you updating?" Well, to answer that: "I really thought I should update. It's been, what, a week?" _

_Well, then...anyone excited and sad for _A Tale of Two Pretties_? Review telling me what you think of this chapter!_

_(I don't own anything.)_


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